Newsletter

Jaguars notebook: Game is key to playoff hopes

Halfway through the season, the Jaguars hesitate to call Sunday's road game against the New York Jets a must-win affair.

"Every week is like that," running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. "Each week, we have to take it like it's a high-stakes game, and it is."

The difference is this game might go a long way toward determining the remainder of the Jaguars' season and their playoff hopes.

Both teams, at 4-4, already find themselves in precarious positions at the halfway point.

"We're not caught up in the [if] 'that team wins, this team goes this direction,' " Jaguars quarterback David Garrard said.

"You never know how it's going to play out, but definitely this game for both teams does mean a whole lot more."

Here's why: Six teams advance to the playoffs, and seven are ahead of the Jaguars and Jets in the AFC standings. They are Indianapolis (8-0), Pittsburgh, New England, Denver and Cincinnati (all 6-2), San Diego (5-3) and Houston (5-4).

The Jaguars and Jets have the same record as Baltimore. So the loser of Sunday's game not only drops another game out of the top seven, it also falls behind a cluster of teams battling for a wildcard slot.

"I want our guys to understand very clearly where we are in our season," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "I propped it up there today for them, showed them how we stack up with the rest of the AFC."

The Jets understand the importance of keeping pace, too.

"Clearly, both teams know that the loser of this game is gonna really have an uphill battle," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "There's no way around it. This one is that critical of a football game. Jacksonville knows that, and so do we."

Former co-workers

Ryan and Del Rio worked together on the Ravens' coaching staff from 1999-2001

"Jack Del Rio and myself are very similar," Ryan said, laughing, "except he's really good-looking and was a great player. Other than that, we're very similar."

Holt eyeing another milestone

Jaguars receiver Torry Holt needs 78 yards receiving to move past Andre Reed (13,198 yards) and into 10th on the NFL's all-time receiving yardage list. If he does it, Holt will become the seventh player in NFL history to rank in the top 10 for most receiving yards and receptions.

Wilford misses practice

Del Rio said that tight end Ernest Wilford (ankle) is day to day. Wilford didn't practice Wednesday, but he spent time working near the practice field with an athletic trainer.

"We're relatively healthy," Del Rio said. "We'll take a look at [Wilford] tomorrow or Friday and see if he has a chance to go this weekend."

Etc.

The Jaguars are 0-2 this season when they rush for fewer than 100 yards. Going back to the 2007 season, the team is 0-10 when held to fewer than 100 yards rushing. ... The Jaguars are 5-2 all-time against the Jets. ... Opposing quarterbacks have a 94.3 passer rating or better against the Jaguars in six of eight games this season.